God Goes First: Taking Courageous First Steps

Dec 28, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: God Always Goes First Into Our Unknowns

You don’t step into new territory alone. Just as the Ark went ahead of Israel into the Jordan, God moves into your conversations, decisions, and transitions before you do. His Spirit is already stirring hearts, preparing paths, and making a way where you can’t yet see it. When fear rises about the “what ifs,” remember the “Who” that goes first. Take courage: the One who calls you forward is already on the other side, ready to meet you in motion. [51:37]

Joshua 3:11–13 — The chest that signified the Lord’s presence will enter the Jordan in front of you. Appoint one man from each tribe. When the priests carrying the Ark step into the river, the flowing water will be cut off and will pile up like a great bank.

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to take a single concrete step toward a conversation you’ve delayed, trusting He is already ahead of you?

Day 2: Obedience And God’s Work Move Together

God can do anything, yet He delights to do it through trusting people. The waters did not part while the priests stood on dry ground; they parted the moment their feet touched the river. Faith looks like wet ankles before it looks like dry riverbeds. Your step may feel small—a phone call, an application, a yes to serve—but God weaves that obedience into His power. Move your foot toward the edge and watch what He does. [56:30]

Joshua 3:15–16 — Though the Jordan was overflowing its banks, as soon as the priests carrying the Ark put their feet at the water’s edge, the river stopped upstream and stood like a wall, and the flow down toward the Salt Sea ran out.

Reflection: What small, measurable act of obedience will you do before anything “parts”—and when will you do it this week?

Day 3: Let Go To Embrace God’s Best

You can’t cling to the desert and cross into the promise at the same time. Old habits, hurts, and patterns feel familiar, but they cannot carry you into what God has next. Faith releases what is known to receive what is better. There comes a moment to step forward even when the future isn’t fully clear, trusting the goodness of the One who leads. Open your hands so you can receive what He’s been eager to give. [01:02:26]

Philippians 3:13–14 — I don’t claim to have arrived, but I choose to forget what’s behind and lean hard into what’s ahead, running after the purpose Christ has set before me to reach the prize He has called me to.

Reflection: What specific habit, hurt, or pattern is God bringing to mind that you need to release this month, and what will “letting go” practically look like by Friday?

Day 4: Live As A First-Step Kind Of People

Generations before us took bold first steps—sharing good news door to door, giving sacrificially, rebuilding after fire, and investing so others could hear of Jesus. That legacy isn’t a museum piece; it’s a map for today. God is still inviting a people who move first, trusting Him to meet them in motion. Your yes matters—for a neighbor, a ministry team, a child, a city. Keep the line moving forward. [01:00:27]

Genesis 12:1–4 — The Lord told Abram to leave his country, family, and security and go to the land God would show him. God promised to make him into a great nation and to bring blessing through him. Abram went, just as the Lord said.

Reflection: In the life of this church, where could you take an initiator’s step—joining a team, leading a group, or starting a prayer rhythm for a neighbor—and what date will you start?

Day 5: Courage In The In-Between Struggle And Waiting

The space between “called out” and “brought in” can feel like a tug-of-war. Israel once shrank back at the giants and missed a generation’s blessing, yet God offered another chance to trust. When fear says, “Turn around,” faith says, “The Lord is with us.” Expect resistance in the middle, but also expect God’s presence and provision there. Keep moving; the promise is on the other side of a faithful step. [01:05:00]

Numbers 13:30; 14:6–9 — Caleb quieted the people and urged, “Let’s go at once; we can do this.” Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and said, “The land is very good, and the Lord will give it to us. Don’t rebel, and don’t be afraid of the people; their defenses are gone. The Lord is with us.”

Reflection: Where are you tempted to turn back because the “giants” look too big, and what single next step will keep you moving forward with God this week?

Sermon Summary

Drawing from Joshua 3, the focus centers on taking first steps when God calls for forward movement. The narrative traces Israel’s journey from Abraham’s call to a new land, through Egypt’s bondage and the Exodus, to a new generation standing on the banks of a flooded Jordan. The previous generation refused to trust God at the edge of promise, choosing familiar deserts over a costly obedience. Now a new people hear the call: the Ark of the Covenant—the sign of God’s presence and power—will go first. The waters will not part until faith puts its feet in the river.

Three convictions rise. First: God goes first. The Ark moved out ahead, visible at a distance so everyone could see that the Lord was leading into the unknown. That truth reframes fear about difficult conversations, leadership moments, and new beginnings—God is already at work on both sides of the river. Second: God’s work and human obedience are connected. Although God could act without anyone, He chooses to work through faithful steps. The priests had to touch the water before it parted; the miracle met them in motion, not in avoidance. Third: embracing God’s best requires letting go. Israel had to release the “safety” of desert routines to step into promise. Faith does not cling to the old while test-driving the new; it entrusts the future to God by relinquishing familiar patterns, resentments, and fears.

These convictions are not abstract. They shape personal discipleship and communal mission. The call is to reconcile where bitterness has taken root, to start the conversations that have been delayed, to step into service, and to lead with courage. The church’s own story echoes this pattern—bold first steps in evangelism, generosity, rebuilding, and vision—reminding that God’s faithfulness continues as His people obey. Looking toward a new year, the invitation is clear: see where God has gone ahead, step where He is calling, and let go of lesser securities to receive what He longs to give.

Key Takeaways

1. God always goes first God does not send His people into uncertainty alone; He leads the way and makes His presence visible. Recognizing His initiative undercuts anxiety and reframes risk, because the future is not empty—it is occupied by His providence. This does not remove challenge, but it anchors courage. Trust grows when eyes are set on the God who moves ahead. [51:49]
2. Obedience unlocks God’s power Scripture’s pattern is clear: God chooses to work through responsive people, not around them. The priests’ feet had to touch the water before the river made room for the nation. Obedience is not a lever to control God; it is the doorway through which His intended outcomes meet willing hearts. Faith moves, and grace meets it. [55:23]
3. Faith steps into messy waters God rarely clears every obstacle before inviting action; He calls for movement into uncertainty. Real faith acknowledges the flood stage, counts the cost, and still steps—because trust in God outweighs fear of outcomes. Courage is not the absence of danger; it is confidence in God’s presence within it. The path opens as feet obey. [54:24]
4. Let go to embrace God’s best Promise requires release. Clutching the familiar—habits, grudges, patterns—keeps hearts anchored to deserts of safety. Faith surrenders what cannot carry into a new season and chooses trust over control. The future God offers is received only with open hands. [1:01:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:50] - Post-Christmas joy and gratitude
[38:34] - A friendship shifts toward romance
[39:57] - The purple note that changed everything
[41:30] - Grateful for first steps and family
[41:57] - Introducing the theme: first steps
[43:14] - Rewinding 600 years of Israel’s story
[47:39] - Spies, fear, and a missed promise
[49:30] - New generation at a flooded Jordan
[51:37] - God goes first into the waters
[54:24] - Feet in the river, waters part
[55:23] - God’s work linked to obedience
[1:01:27] - To embrace God’s best, let go
[1:03:41] - Practical next steps for the year
[1:05:00] - Prayer for courage and harvest

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Joshua 3:11-17

Observation questions

According to Joshua 3:11-13, what had to happen before the waters of the Jordan would be “cut off and stand in a heap”? How does the text describe the sequence of events?
Joshua 3:15-16 says the Jordan was at flood stage. Where did the waters “pile up” and what does that detail show about the scale of the miracle?
In Joshua 3:14 and 17, who went ahead of the people, where did they stand, and how long did they remain there?
What object led the way into the river, and what did it represent among the people? “It actually was a gold box… and it represented the power and the presence of God” ([51:09]).

Interpretation questions

If “the ark of the covenant… will go into the Jordan ahead of you” (Joshua 3:11), what does that teach about God’s initiative when His people face the unknown? How might the claim “God always goes first” shape how fear is handled ([51:49])?
What does the fact that “as soon as the priests… set foot in the Jordan, its waters… were cut off” (Joshua 3:13, 15-16) reveal about the relationship between God’s power and human obedience? How does the line “God’s work and my obedience are connected” help interpret this ([55:23])?
The text stresses flood-stage conditions (Joshua 3:15). What does it mean that God often calls people to step into “messy waters” rather than cleared paths? Consider the vivid description of risk and uncertainty ([56:08]).
Why does entering God’s promise require release? Discuss the statement, “In order to embrace God’s best, I have to let go” ([01:01:27]), in light of a generation that preferred the desert over the promise.

Application questions

Identify one “river” you face right now—a hard conversation, a new role, a step of service. Since “God’s already gone first” into that space, what specific first step could you take this week ([52:26])?
Where might you be waiting for God to part the waters before you move? What is one concrete act of obedience you can take in the next 48 hours—an email, a phone call, a signup, a calendar block—remembering, “The water did not part until the priest stepped into it” ([56:53])?
What familiar habit, grudge, or pattern feels “safe” but is keeping you in the desert? What will “letting go” look like practically for you—confession, counseling, removing a trigger, setting a boundary—since “we can’t hang on to the old and experience the new” ([01:02:01])?
Who is one person with whom you need to “go and sit down… and reconcile”? What will be your first sentence, where will you meet, and when will you reach out ([01:03:41])?
Where is God inviting you to step up and serve—kids, students, hospitality, worship, small groups, missions, or a neighbor in need? What next step will you take—ask for info, shadow, or attend training—since “maybe it’s an opportunity to step up where you are” ([01:04:07])?
Think about flood-stage conditions in your life—timing, finances, emotions. What “safety nets” do you tend to cling to, and how will you remind yourself that God goes ahead of you when conditions look worst (Joshua 3:15; [54:02])?

Sermon Clips

25s

#LetGoForNew

“There was a moment where every single person in that nation had to decide, am I going to stay with what I've known or am I going to embrace God's best and take a step of faith into the future? Here's the reality. You and I can't hang on to the old and experience the new. We can't do it.”

24s

#EmbraceGodsBest

“In this next year, church, let's be people who know God goes first, know that God's work and my obedience are connected, and let's be people who embrace God's best for us. Let go of what's behind us, strain towards, as Paul says in Philippians, what is ahead, and see God do amazing things, not only in your life, in your family's life, but in the life of this church and this community.”

32s

#PartnerWithGod

“And what you and I need to hear today is that we've got a God who's chosen to partner with us and is inviting us to take that first step so we can see his power unleashed in our lives, in our relationships, in the conversations that we need to have. Can you imagine what would have happened if the priest walked up to the water and said, well, we're just going to wait until something happens? The nation would never have gotten in there. They'd still be standing there. Let's not be those kind of people, right?”

35s

#LetGoToReceive

“But in order to, and I want you to write this in your notes, the third thing is this, in order to embrace God's best, I have to let go. See, what sometimes happens, church, when you and I, God's calling us to take a step of faith, is we want to hang on to what we've known and reach out for what's new. Still hanging on to what we've known because it's safe. And then when we grab something new, we want to see if we like it first before we let go of the old.”

24s

#PreparedByGod

“If you're looking at making a change in your life, stepping into a new ministry, maybe stepping up and leading in a place in the church, and you're dealing with anxiety over that, you need to know that God's already gone first. He's prepared you for that moment. He will give you exactly what you need in that moment to step forward as a leader. You don't ever have to be afraid that you're going to step into something that God is calling you into, that God is not already there.”

34s

#GodStepsAhead

“Just like the nation of Israel, God said to the priests, you need to go a half mile in front of the people so everybody can see that I'm going first. That gives you and I a courage that the world does not have, because we're not facing those things by ourselves. So as you think about that first step that God may be calling you to or encouraging you to take in this next year, recognize and own the fact that God's already gone ahead of you and prepared the hearts. God's already working in that situation. What he's called you into, he's gone ahead of you and stepped into.”

34s

#GodsAlreadyThere

“Now, for some of us, as we look at maybe a step that God is calling us into in the 2026 year, what I want you to hear really clearly is if God's calling you to take that step, God's already gone there first. If God's calling you to have a difficult conversation with a loved one, a co-worker, a family member, maybe heal a break that's happened in your family, and you're wrestling with anxiety over that, and you're going, I don't know even how to start this conversation, what you need to hear is God's already gone first.”

19s

#RebuildBigger

“When this church burned down in the 1960s, they could have closed the door and said, oh, God's left us. We're done. They didn't. They said, we're going to rebuild and we're going to rebuild bigger because there's a group of people out there that desperately need Jesus and we want to see them with lives transformed. That first step is a partnership.”

34s

#BestYearsAhead

“One of the amazing things that I heard when I came to interview at First Baptist is a number of people said to me, yes, we've got an amazing history of God's faithfulness but I believe our best years are in front of us. Person after person, didn't matter where we were. We have an amazing history, God's faithfulness, but I believe our best years are in front of us. The way those best years happen, church, is we become a church that lets go to embrace God's best.”

27s

#ServeDespiteFear

“It means you need to step out and serve. Maybe you've been going, I would love to, I'm just scared to. Me too. I'm amazed every day that God lets me do what I get to do. We all have anxiety in there. Maybe it's an opportunity to step up where you are. Maybe it's a conversation with a neighbor. Maybe it's as simple as a gospel conversation and an invite. God is always asking you and I to step into something new.”

26s

#FirstStepLegacy

“The passage of Scripture that we're going to look at, Joshua chapter 3, is an account that occurs about 3,500 years ago in human history. About 1406 B.C. is when this takes place. And it actually talks about a first step that led an entire nation into a different way of living. So as we look at that passage today, my hope is that it encourages you and challenges you to move forward into what God may be calling you into in this next year ahead.”

22s

#NotAloneInStruggle

“And you and I can live differently, church, because when we step into those struggling moments, we're not stepping into those moments alone. Your struggle and my struggle, what God's calling you to step into, what God's calling me to step into, they look different. But the thing that is the same for yours and mine is that we're not going there by ourselves.”

37s

#LetGoStepBoldly

“As much as we would love to say it's safe for me just to hang out here, I don't know what that's going to look like so I'm going to keep holding on to the past until I find out if the future is good. That's not how faith works. What's required in faith is that you and I have to trust God enough to go, I'm going to let go of old habits, old hurts, old hang-ups. I'm going to let go of old patterns of behavior. I'm going to let go of not having the faith to trust God and I'm going to step with boldness into what God has next for me even though I don't fully know what it is yet.”

24s

#ChooseReconciliation

“For some of you in this next year, here's what that means. It means you need to have a conversation you've been avoiding. It means you need to go and sit down with someone that you've held bitterness against and reconcile. It means you need to speak forgiveness and hope and peace over some kind of broken relationship.”

40s

#GodWorksThroughUs

“Now, not only when you and I have a first step that God's calling us into, not only does God always go first, the second thing that I want you to write down in your notes, and this is really, really important for us to remember, is that God's work and my obedience are connected. God's work and my obedience are connected. All the way through the scripture, what you and I see is an all-powerful God that can work outside of us, but chooses to work in and through us. Let me say that again. What we see all the way through the scripture is an all-powerful God who can work outside of us, but chooses to work in and through us.”

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